COUNCIL FOR 1880. 
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known and kigUy respected York family, lie was brought up 
in his father’s office as a solicitor, and at the time of his death 
was the father of the profession in this city. During a long and 
prosperous life, it was his lot to fill nearly every honourable 
office open to his profession. For many years previous to his 
death he had discharged the onerous and important duties of 
Dnder Sheriff of this great county. In the year 1844 the 
Municipal Corporation of York testified their respect to his 
worth by electing him to the highest civic office, that of Lord 
Mayor of this City. In all the relations of life, whether as a 
professional man or as a citizen, Mr. Gb?ay won the esteem and 
respect of all. He was ever ready to lend a helping hand to 
others, and did not spare himself in any labours which had for 
their object the promotion of science, the improvement of his 
native city, and the welfare of the citizens. Mr. Gray was 
prominently associated with the Yorkshire Philosophical Society 
almost from the date of its formation. He became one of its 
members in 1827, and in the following year was appointed one 
of its Honorary Secretaries, an office which he held until the 
death of his father, when he became a member of the Council 
of the Society, in the management of which he took an active 
part. In 185b he succeeded Mr. T. Meynell as Treasurer, 
which post he held up to the time of his death, when he was 
the senior member of the Society. Amongst the many branches 
of study to which Mr. Gray gave his attention was that of 
Geology, and he was intimately associated with the late Pro¬ 
fessor Phillips in the promotion of this science, and the 
acquisition of the magnificent collections in the York Museum. 
He was a Fellow of the Geological and Astronomical Societies, 
and possessed an intimate knowledge of the strata of our wide 
county. In the sciences of Astronomy and Meteorology he 
was also no mean adept, and spent much time in practical 
astronomical investigations in his own Observatory, where he 
had caused to be erected a powerful equatorial telescope. In 
1836, with a party of scientific friends, he visited a remote part 
of Scotland for the purpose of observing a solar eclipse; and, 
about twenty years later, he visited Norway especially with the 
view of observing a total eclipse of the sun, taking with him a 
